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Posted on: August 7, 2015

Councilmember Young tapped to serve in a national position

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has named Pierce County Councilmember Derek Young as the newest member of its Health Steering Committee. The organization, which represents county governments nationwide, made the announcement following its 2015 annual conference in North Carolina last month.

“It is truly an honor to serve on NACo’s Health Steering Committee, especially since we in Pierce County are so focused on the health and care of our citizens,” said Young, who represents the county’s 7th Council District. “Serving on this committee, I’ll be able to identify emerging national trends related to public health as well as be a voice for Pierce County at the national level.”

NACo Health Steering Committee members play a critical role in advancing legislative and policy priorities important to the nation’s counties. Throughout the year, committee members participate in regular conference calls and receive email updates from NACo staff to stay up to date on matters relevant to the committee’s work.

The committee has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to public health and healthy communities, including:

disease and injury prevention

health promotion

health disparities reduction

financing

health care delivery

Medicaid

Medicare

long-term care

behavioral health services

substance abuse prevention and treatment

services for persons with developmental disabilities

“My focus during my tenure with NACo, as it has been at the state and local level, will be on behavioral health,” said Young, who has recently introduced a resolution (R2015-91) directing the County's Performance Audit Committee to conduct a comprehensive behavioral health systems analysis and study for Pierce County. “This is an instance where federal and state policy really hit home and we need to make sure we’re addressing it top to bottom. It’s a major priority for us.”

As a member of the Health Steering Committee, Young will serve on both the Behavioral Health Subcommittee and the Public Health and Healthy Communities Subcommittee. His term of service will be for at least one year, from 2015-2016.